wylie

Well here it is...
I was sitting in my stand yesterday. Started thinking about the posts on this board. Especially the ones about still hunting in the wind. So I decided I felt like taking a stroll after not seeing anything for 4 hours. I remember you guys saying with the wind the way it is (NY) it' s as good as time as any.
So I start walking through a weak grown corn field about waist or chest high. The field is only 50 yards wide by about 300 yards long. I get about half way down it and about 75 yards away I see a rack above the tusks. I had the wind in my favor and the ground was perfectly quiet for stalking with the fresh snow. So I start creeping up on him everytime he put his head down to feed I' d move 4 or 5 yards then stop. I couldn' t believe I was getting closer to him. I was taking it as slow and thought out as I could. I get to about 50 yards and I get a good look at him. The absolute biggest deer I' ve ever seen around here. He was a 12 pointer with a spread wider than my truck. After the shock wore off, I started my stalking again. I get off my knee to take a few more steps and i see a doe gazing at me. she now has me stuck in a half fetal positon with my feet together for 5 minutes. Never took her eyes off me. I was about to fall over so decided to reposition myself when the buck wasn' t paying attention. I knew the doe would bolt as soon as I did so I grabbed my grunt call. went down to a knee and grunted and she took off. I was hoping the buck would think it was another buck. He never moved, just watched her leave.
After about 5 minutes I start getting closer again. I was walking down the edge of the hardwoods and the corn. I get to 30 yards and a limb is sticking out about 10 feet into the corn. I start to cut into the corn a little to get around it and my pants rub against a tusk. Bam his head pops up!! Oh crap I' m stuck again with him staring at me. Now I have a perfect look at the rack and it just adds to the situation. He starts waving his head trying to make me out and grunts at me. He starts walking to me like he' s going to charge. Never happened to me before. I soiled myself. Fearing being stabbed, I slowly got moved a little to stop him. He turned towards the woods and started walking like he was going to take off. I drew back (about 25 yards now) started to put the pin on him and he blew at me and bolted.
The biggest deer I' ll ever see around my property has escaped me!! The whole ordeal took about an hour. It was 4:30 or so at that time. I sat with my hands on my head until 7:30 and realized it' s been dark for 2 hours now and I should probably head home. I am completely bummed. 1 more day of bow then gun opens on moday. I' m not looking forward to gun but it' s better than nothing i guess.
Will he ever be back in my neck of the woods or did I send him 7 counties over???
sorry this was so long I had to vent. There I feel a little better. By the way thanks for the advice on still hunting I may try it a little more.

c903

No sweat! That is his territory. He will be back. Doubtful that was the first time he has ever been spooked.

Regardless you did not get a shot, the whole experience was a rush, was it not?

Scar955

You may not have him on your wall YET, but what a great hunt!!!! I would love to have that opportunity!

Stick with it and you never know. That' s what hunting is all about!

Trushot_archer

Yeah Buck Dead or Buck alive that sounds like an awesome experience.

antlergetter

Sounds something like an encounter I had with a nice eight point on my way to an evening stand this year.....This deer walked dead up on me at ten yards from behind right in the middle of an old logging road while i was spraying some cover scent on my boots. I was half way turned around when he snorted and scared the crap out of me.....To make a long story short, I ended up getting a 35 yard shot at the deer. My arrow hit a pine limb the size of my pinky and deflected. I had been watching this guy in that area everyday for over a week.......so as you could imagine i was very upset to say the least. I thought for sure that he would never come back. I pulled myself together and got in my stand and 30 minutes later he walked by at about 50 yards!! I finally settled down again and 45 min later he came by yet again running a doe!!! I've yet to get another shot, but to this day I'm still after him..... That said, I wouldnt sweat it a bit, just stay at it!! Good Luck

CLOUD 9, MN

Sound like a good exciting fun hunt! He's not gone but I wouldn't expect to see him in the same place tomarrow. He'll change his routine alittle and be careful in that area, maybe show up at night. Keep after him, you'll intercept him somewhere else, if not next year maybe a 14 pointer!

Good Luck!

DaveH

I had a great 140 class buck in my sights in early November and my arrow also hit a small branch enroute to the buck. He was somewhat spooked, but not completely buggered. I haven't seen him since though and my bigger concern was that he was done in during gun season when the woods are loaded with gun hunters--I went out a couple times with just my bow and saw some does in gun range, but nothing close enough for a bow shot.

jimpok61

Been there wylie. Don't feel like you failed a final exam. There will be a time when evrything is perfect. When that time comes you will remember the attention to detail needed.

davidmil

You did everything perfect until the last 5 minutes and then you got impatient. Sounds like a fun hunt to me. Been there done that. Next time use the binos and really look the area over before you start stalking to determine who else may be in the area. Well the gun season has come and gone. Did you ever hear of anyone getting him. You didn't chase him away with one chance encounter. Heck, he's still not sure what that was he saw.... he just saw something he didn't like at the moment and left. When you stalk of course the first thing to be considered is stealth, quiet, slow movements, stick to the shadows and along with that.... always be on balance in case you get picked off. If it requires a few more shorter steps... so be it.

thelastboyscout

i think he'll be back, i doubt if you were the first human he has ever seen. plus, since you didn't try tracking him or anything like that, he probably forgot about you about 3 minutes later. typical mind capacity of a 16 year old kid out for action!!